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Comrades 2017
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I managed to get it for around £70 a night a week ago when it was suggested on here on the Hilton site
Wow seren nos, that's an amazing price, I've never seen it that low! Well done
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It was that price when I looked too. Now it's £180
anyway, city lodge booked. I often leave these things till really late because I don't understand why people do it so early and it always ends up costing me a fortune. It's fine if you're not aware of the original price
. Now I too am a super organised person
Thanks for the photos Debra- even if it does make me look like an alcoholic! My legs are fine but my feet felt like someone had been hitting them with hammers and i think I have a tendonitis under my big toe. We'll see what Endure 24 does for that this weekend
. I have no plans to go for a back to back next year- fantastic experience and surpassed my hoped for time so I'll happily watch from home. But hope to see some of you at Abingdon- I'll wear my Comrades t shirt 
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Danni - if you are going to be there and not running is there any chance of you having a hot air balloon ready at the finish to whisk us back to Durban? It's got to be quicker than the Maharajah's bus.
Becca - surely if I'm going tp have my balloon there, you'd prefer a ride up Fields Hill? If I don't run and am there, I'll rent a minibus to bring everyone back to Durban.
However, when I was talking to Lindsey yesterday, he said "MdS is the perfect last serious training for Comrades....". Damn.
Wow, how could you ignore advice like that.
There in lies the problem.
Dannirr - Hmm... I see what he means 6 days of gentle lolloping around a desert 2 months prior to June 4th... perfect peak training
... definitely not an excuse to avoid Comrades 
I'm pondering whether instead of City Lodge it might be nicer to stay in one of the hotels on the sea front. Does anyone have any recommendations, or comments on the difference in price/convenience/atmosphere? City Lodge is all about Comrades over the weekend, but is that the same for the bigger hotels?
Gentle lolloping around a desert with a big backpack. Perhaps Inchanga will feel easy after that.
RR - Maharani / Elangeni is a really nice hotel. I thought about abut it too. And that's where the tour buses now leave from. Really nice. I booked City Lodge but might still change
It's used by some of the marathon tour groups, so certainly has the race feel.
RR - does this mean you are going??
Belaire Suites was good. Reasonable price, sea views, short walks to beach/ start line for North Beach parkrun / Mugg & Bean for Monday morning / pre-Comrades tour buses. Longer walk from the Expo/Stadium, but not a bad walk really.
Quite a few Comrades runners there as well (it was Terry48 who suggested the hotel to me), and they put breakfast on from 1am on Comrades Sunday, with pretty much all the usual stuff available as far as I noticed.
A nice quiet hotel in general, I found.
I'm in two minds about this; run it both ways, got the back-to-back. A cold hearted view might be; been there, done that. I of course know its a massive challenge, best supported road ultra in the world, brilliant bunch of people. Ah... think I may have talked myself back into it. But, over and above that; what keeps you all going back year after year (running over the same old ground, what have we found, same old fears, wish you were here) - sorry ignore the brackets couldn't resist it? Why do you go back again and again?
lowrez - loving the picture on the 2016 thread. A brilliant memory to the end day. And agreed about the value for money on the pictures, much better than this country.
For me, the race is all about the traditions and history of the past 91 years. When you read the race history, the route is identical to the first one back in 1921 (pretty much anyway), so you know you running in the footsteps of all the great past champions plus of course the thousands of others runners who have completed the race. Starting with the emotional anthems, chariots of fire, cockcrow, then of course the amazing support and ending with the nerve tingling final cutoff. You don't get that anywhere else.
I also like the fact you have to qualify, so you get that buzz when you cross the line of the whichever marathon you have chosen to run, knowing you will be on the start line next year.
Plus of course, the amazing camaraderie and support of the great people on here. Its great to share the race and experience with you all.
Dannirr - what package did you use to crop that video clip of lowrez from the youtube broadcast of the race. I want to do the same as there is a bit of me running into and around the stadium. Thanks.
Marty74 - I did not do that, I simply pointed out to lowrez that he was well seen. I'd like to do it too as there is some footage of me at the end too.
lowrez, initially I went back for a third because I wanted to try for sub 9, after getting 9:25 and 9:20 in my first two years. This is one of their cunning ways of tempting runners in. This year I went because I was going to work in Mauritius in early June, and I might as well fit in another Comrades on the way. Same again next year but it also struck me that I didn't want this years to be the last, as originally intended. There's no race like it and a lot of that is to do with the people who stand by the side of the road.
Thanks for your thoughts Marty and Becca, things I hadn't necessarily factored in to my sparse equation focusing on distance, toughness and time. Lots of food for thought
. Would welcome anyone else's thoughts too.
Marty, if you right click any video on YouTube one of the options that is displayed in the resulting pop-up is "Copy video URL at current time". The right click pauses the video. So just go find the start point of the bit you want and right click on it
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Similar did not work for me using the share button underneath the clip to push it on to facebook - damned thing just starts right at the beginning.
Also you can nab most videos completely off YouTube if you fancy keeping them for posterity using keepvid you just copy the YouTube video link into the keepvid bar and it should come back with a series of links representing the formats you can download. I have nabbed the whole beast for posterity in mp4 format. I have the cheapest version of Sony Vegas for chopping videos about on my home PC, but there are simple free cutters for mp4s out there on the web if you look.
Lowrez - I was in the same situation as you this year. I'd done the back to back, and I felt like I'd achieved what I wanted from Comrades. There are so many interesting races, and I wanted to focus on something new and different. I also had vague ideas of clocking up some UTMB points, until I discovered that even if you manage to get the points, there's very little chance that you'll get in on the ballot.
But this year I found I really missed it - the excitement of travelling, meeting old friends and new people, the very special Comrades atmosphere. I'm also very fond of South Africa. I'm glad I took a year off, but I think I'm ready to come back next year.
And also, I quite enjoy poncing about Heathrow Airport in a t-shirt that says 'UK International Runner'
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So using my method, which only jumps in to the big beast at a certain point and carries on from there is that you Dannirr?
Marty, we can do the same for you if we discover what time you were doing press-ups outside the stadium
RR thanks for those additional thoughts, I am already trying to think what it will be like if I don't make the trip, and, would I be able to stand it, the furniture here isn't very tasty.
I loved the attention my patch got at Manchester airport this year from those in the know
Think Marty's bus is on from 9:29.
Aye lowrez, that is me! Actually seen live by many friends in the UK and the USA!
Never having met Marty I can only assume he is Brazilian or in ZZ Top on that basis
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Glad I found you Dannirr, both on YouTube and in the lobby of the Hilton
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I can confirm that i am not Brazilian or in the afor mentioned zz top. Mind you i didn't shave that morning......
I appear at 9.50 in a GB vest as the 10 hour bus winds its way into and around the stadium
Still struggling to identify you Marty 9:50 seems to be all about a USA bloke, then an interview with an ostrich bedecked green number. By GB do you mean union jack? Can't pick anyone out and I've watched all the way through to 10h plus. Here is the 9:50 link if that is what you were after. Let me know if you would like something different
Thats brilliant lowrez thanks. I meant 9.50 on the youtube feed but my finish is on this link, my fault for being too ambiguous!! I appear at 9.54.51 on the TV coverage time with the "official" 10 hour bus (guy with flag)!! I am on the left hand side (as you look at the coverage) and am wearing a replica vest from the 2012 GB olympics so its mostly shades of blue in the form of the GB flag.
My moment of fame, never appeared in on the TV in my previous attempts.
At least i am running!!!
Superb Marty! Is that you front row second from the left? If that is you; you appear loads more as the bus drives in and crosses the line - you must be well pleased
Why go back? Like most, my plan was to do one. But when you go there, you quickly discover that they don't consider you a real Comrades runner until you've been in both directions. So you go back for that and the medal, and then you think you are done. But Comrades calls you. The people Runners and spectators alike. Friends from the world over. There is nothing like it and you can't bear to miss it. So you go back for #3. And that's when the real problem occurs, because as the SA people will tell you, that using Cimrades math, 3 is halfway to 10, and your green number beckons.